Archive for March, 2009

Our God reigns, even in the details of ministry. During AWANA I was doing handbook time with three boys. We were on the verse, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” God had arranged the details – all the circumstances, just the right boys, the right verse, the right seating, etc. – so that all three received Christ as Savior. The next week God arranged the same thing, when two of those boys brought their younger brother. When we got to the place in the handbook where he memorized that verse, the two boys who had trusted Jesus the week before encouraged their brother to ask Jesus into his life, and then they prayed with him. During council time, the boys were up front getting a uniform award, so we all cheered for the ones that helped lead their brother to Jesus and for the boy who had just received the Lord. Now we pray we can effectively disciple and grow their new lives in Christ.  Bill & Vicki Devena

VM Associate Jim Everest preached his final sermon at Sunnyside Community Church in February, and a potluck was held in his honor. Kari, Shannon, Andrew, and I were introduced to the congregation as the new pastor and family, and Jim had the elders pray for us as we were presented to the church. The people of Sunnyside are the best!!! They have really gone out of their way to make us feel at home. One of the ladies rang the doorbell one minute before our alarm was to go off, and greeted us with hot cinnamon rolls and fruit (are you guys in the office drooling yet?). More than 20 people helped us unload the moving van, or were involved in making us meals for the day. We are so spoiled. We finally got moved in and now have boxes everywhere. We are still looking for a couple of key pieces that we know we packed, and are sure that were loaded and unloaded, but somehow are hiding from us now that we desperately need them. It will take us a little time to get our feet under us, and we will split time between setting up the house and the church office.  Richard & Kari Wheeler

We’ve begun a men’s discipleship plan that God is using greatly.  An elder and I put a plan together, and we each started with 3 men. Each week we take a topic important to being a godly man, each man chooses a verse that addresses it, and finds a way to apply it thru the week. The men are excited about this, and their wives are excited; one man started bringing his son, and another man has already talked to two others about discipling them. It’s fun to watch God do something new, using something as old as mankind. Andy & Stacy Taylor

February ended with a real ‘stretching’ experience. A moose attacked us on our snow machine.  I lay on top of Allison (our 2-year-old) to protect her, and I got knocked around a little. But Rochelle got kicked several times. Praise the Lord for heavy winter clothes and soft snow, because she only suffered brush burns and bruises. God sure protected us! I guess that just means that our work is not done in Horsefly yet!  Dean & Rochelle Denlinger